Process of heat treating and torch



Sept. 2, 1941. c. H. TAYLOR PROCESS 10F HEAT TREATING AND' TORCH THEREFOR Ori inal Filed March 15, 19:55

lnvamm'a a H Zzylfir BY um ATT RNEY3 Re'icsued Sept 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rnocassornns'r TREATING AND roacn 'rnannron Charles 11. Taylor, Springfield, Mesa, assignor to The Lindc Air Products Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Original No. 2,065,627, dated December 29, 1936, Serial No. 660,525, March 13, 1933. Application for reissue February 18, 1938, Serial No. 191,274

8 Claims. (01. 148-21) The invention relates to heat treating processes and torches therefor, and more particularly to, processes of and blow torches adapted for heat treating a certain portion or portions only oi a metal body.

It. has been proposed to heat treat portions of articles by means of a torch, such as the ordinary oxyacetylene torch, by playing the flame "upon the portion to be heat treated for the required length 01' time, and then quickly chilling Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to embody all of the foregoing objectives in a simple, compact and inexpensive construction, which is particularly adapted for efiicient and convenient manipulation by a single operator, and which produces work of extremely highquality And finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process heat treating in around or at the sides oi the portion being heated by the flame.

This practice requires the services of one or more men in addition to the torch operator.

Moreover, it is obviously very difficult continuouslg to direct the cooling medium onto the article being heat treated with suflicient accuracy so that which the torch of this invention is particularly useful.

These and other objects are attained by the improvements comprising the present invention, which may be stated in general terms as including a torch having a burner tip and a. handle, means on the handle for controlling the flow oi gases to the burner tip, a jacket surrounding" the burner tip and forming a jacket chamber,

means associated with the handle for introducing a cooling medium to th jacket chamber, means located adjacent the gas controlling means for the cooling medium does not strike the portion heing heat treated and is not directed onto portions too greatly removed therefrom.

Consequently, non-uniform or uneven heating portion heat treated are uncertain and frequently decidedly unsatisfactory.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a torch having an improved burner end construction adapted for heating a desired portion of a metal body and for simultaneously cooling adjoining portions thereof.

Another object is tov provide an improved bumer end construction ior simultaneously applying a cooling medium to an article at a predetermined, substantially constant distance from the portion being heated.

A'iurther object is to provide an improved I burner end construction having means for di-y a coolingmedium adjacent to the flame and for cooling the burner tip. Y,

A still further object is to provide a. torch having means for conducting a cooling medium to its burner end, and means located adjacent the 88s controlling means for independently con.-

trolling the flow of cooling controlling the flow of cooling medium to the jacket chamber, and the wall of the jacket iorm mg a discharge outlet for the cooling medium adjacent the gas outlet oi the burner tip.

Preferred embediments of the present improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawins. in. which: I

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a torch embodying the present improvements, and having a preferred form of burner end construction;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the burner end shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 4- is a longitudinal section of a modified form of burner end construction;

Fig. T: is an and elevation thereof; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of another modiflcation oi burner and construction;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation thereof; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectiongof still another modified form 01' burner end construction.

Similar numerals 'rei'e'r to similar parts throughout the several views.

A preferred embodiment of the improved torch is shown in Fig. 1, the handle portion in thereof 7 being connected atone end to gas supplyiines ii and l 2, which may conduct oxygen and acetylene respectively. At its other end, the handle portion The gases supplied by conduits ii and I! are conducted through the handle portion to the burner the jacket.

pipe I3 and a mixture of said gases is discharged ignited, all in the usual manner.

A valve I6. is provided for controlling the flow of the gas in supply conduit II. and a valve II is provided for controlling the flow of gasin conduit I2, according to common practice. As shown, the valves I6 and II are conveniently located at the inner end of the handle portion III for quick and easy manipulation by the operator.

The improved burner end construction applied to the torch to adapt it for heat treating desired portions only of an article, is indicated generally at I! in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and preferably includes a'jacket '8, which may be substantially circular in cross section and has an annular wall I 3.

The jacket 3 is adapted to. engirdle the burner tip I and forms a substantially annular jacket chamber 20 between the tip I4 and the wall of the jacket 3. Preferably, the jacket! extends longitudinally substantially the entire. length of the tip. l

The jacket 3 is preferably provided with a rear a threaded'aperture 22. The tip I l is provided at its inner end with a threaded projecting-end portion 23 for screwing into the burner pipe I3, and the portion 23 is also adapted to screw into I be flared outwardly as indicated at 33, and the in the form of a jet at the outlet I5 where it is v or end wall 2|, which has at its central portion annular wall I9 of the jacket preferably converges inwardly at its outer end as shown at 3|, so that the end 3| of the jacket'and the flared portion of the tip are spaced only slightly apart and form an annular discharge outlet 33 extending entirely around the tip I! for discharging the cooling medium from thejacket chamber 20.

the discharge outlet I5 is located, may project slightly outwardly from the. flared portion 33, and is preferably reduced somewhat in diameter from the diameter of the flared portion 30. The annular discharge outlet 33 is laterally spaced from and closely adjacent tothe gas discharge outlet I5 of the ti and the area of the outlet 33 is preferably such that the cooling medium will be discharged under pressure in the form of an annular jet surrounding the jet of gas..

In heat treating a portion of a metal body 3. the tip I I is maintained at a substantially constant distance therefrom and the flame indicated at 35 is played directly upon the portion to be heat treated, and at the same time a. cooling medium such as water is being discharged from the outlet 33 as indicated at 31. The cooling medium, accordingly, is discharged from the the threaded aperture 22 of the end wall 2| of Preferably thetip I4 is provided with a shoulder portion 24 which abuts the inner surface of the end wall 2I of the jacket for mounting the tip solidly therein. Intermediate its ends the annular wall I3 of the jacket may have circumferelate the discharge of water around the tip.

whereby it is possible to discharge water entirely burner at a slight angle away from-and in the form 01 a cone entlrelysurrounding the burner flame 35, and impinges upon the work at a substantially constant distance laterally from the portion impinged by the flame of the gas jet,

so as to prevent the heat from being conducted to adjoining portions of the body B and preclude the setting up of any strains therein or changes in the grain structure thereof.

outlet H5 at its outer end I 34, and is connected to the burner pipe H3 at its inner end. The

' jacket I09 is similar in shape to the jacket 9,

around the gas jet in a uniform jet or cone, or to cut of! the flow of water at any desired point so that the operator may observe the metal during the heat treating operation and thus be guided in his work.

With the difference in' diameter of the tip and the jacket very slight as shown in Fig. 2. it will be seen that by moving the tip against one side of the jacket. a suflicient portion of the discharge of water will be cut oil at that side to permit the operator to view the work clearly through the opening thus produced in the cone of water.

Preferably ad acent its rear wall 2|. the jacket 3 is provided with an angularly extendin inlet portion 28 which is secured to or may be inte ral with the handle portion II) .of the torch.

- Adjacent its outer end, the burner tip may except that at the outer end I3I of the jacket,

the wall IIB thereof is shaped to flt closely around the tip m throughout the major part of its periphery as indicated at I40, and form between the jacket and the tip diametrically opposite discharge apertures II for discharging streams of the cooling medium under pressure from the jacket chamber I20, at locations closely adjacent to the gas discharge outlet II5 of the tip III.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 6, the burner tip ,2I4 is provided with a plurality of gas discharge passages 242 which extend through and form laterally spaced discharge outlets 2I5 in the burner tip ends 244. The discharge passages 242 communicate with a laterally extending passage 245 in the tip, and the passage-243 in turn communicates with a passage 246 formed: in the inner projecting end 223 of the tip, which is adapted for connection to the burner pipe.

The jacket 209 engirdles the burner tip 2 and forms a jacket chamber 220 extending entirely around the tip 2 I 4'.

' An inlet portion 226 communicates with the jacket chamber 220 for introducing cooling medium therein.

and is spaced only slightly from the outer surface 'o'fthe burner tip 2'I4 to form a continuous discharge opening 233 for discharging a jet of the cooling medium extending entirely around the burnertip and laterally closely adjacent to the gas discharge outlets 2I5.

The uterend 34 of the burner tip :4 in which The outer'end 23I .of the wall 2I9 of the jacket chamber converges inwardly 3|! of the jacket 309 projects outwardly beyond pinging directly upon the portion of the body to be heat treated. The valve 28 is then opened to introduce cooling medium into the jacket chamber, and the cooling medium is forced out of the discharge outlet or outlets under pressure, striking adjacent portions of the body B at predetermined distances irom the portionimpinged by the flame. In all forms of the invention herein disclosed, the cooling medium is discharged onto thework at points adjacent the portion of the work impinged by the flame or jet of gas.

Thus the portions of the body B adjacent to the portion being heated by the flame are continuously cooled by the cooling medium during the heating operation, and the cooling medium strikes the body B only at predetermined distances from the flame, thereby preventing internal disturbances in the grain structure of said adjacent portions, and precluding any possibility of the cooling medium striking the portion being heated.

After the portion being heat treated has been heated sumciently, the flame may be extinguished, and by moving the burner end slightly laterally the cooling medium is directed upon the heated portion to chill or quench the same for proper hardening.

In cases where adjacent portions of a body are being successively heat treated, as for instance gear teeth on a gear wheel, it may not be necessary to extinguish the flame between operations,

because when the flame is moved to the next adjacent tooth the cooling medium will strike the tooth just previously heated, quenching the same. i

The improved burner end construction provides for discharging a cooling medium adjacent to the flame as above described, and at the same time the jacket chamber containing the cooling medium provides for continuously cooling the burner tip so as to increase the longevity thereof.

The present improved torch simple and inexpensive, and may be efficiently manipulated by a single operator to produce more uniform results and a higher quality of heat,; ,treatment than has been heretofore accomplished.

1. Burner end construction for heat treating torches, including a tip having a gas discharge 'outlet at one end for discharging a jet of gas,

a jacket engirdling the tip and forming ajacket chamber between the tip and jacket, means for 2. Burner and construction for heat treating torches, including a tip having a gas discharge outlet at one end for discharging a jet of gas axially of the tip, a jacket engirdling the tip and forming a jacket chamber between the tip and jacket, means for introducing water into the jacket chamber, and the walls of the jacket at one end thereof being spaced from the tip to form an annular discharge outlet for discharging an annular outwardly flared jet of the water around the gas jet and means for relatively adjusting the jacket and tip to regulate said jet cf water at diiferent points around the tip.

' 3. A heat treating torch including a tip adapted for discharging a jet of gas onto a portion of a piece of work maintained at a substantially constant distance from said tip, walls forming a jacket chamber surrounding the tip, means for introducing water into the jacket chamber, and the walls of the jacket chamber forming an outlet for discharging water onto said piece of work at a substantially constant distance laterally from the portion impinged by the jet of gas, and means for shutting off the flow of water at one point around the tip.

4. A heat treating torch including a tip adapted for discharging a jet of gas onto a portion of a piece of work, Walls forming a jacket chamber surrounding the tip, meansefor introducing water into the jacket chamber, and means for discharging the water onto the work at a point spaced from the portion impinged .by the gas jet,

and means for regulating the discharge of water at different points around the tip.

5. A heat treating torch including a tip adapted for discharging a jet of gas onto a portion of apieoe of work, walls forming a jacket chamber surrounding the tip, means'for introducing water into the jacket chamber, and means for dis charging the water in1a cone surrounding and spaced from the gas jet onto the work at a distance from the portion impinged by the gas jet, and means for regulating the cone of water at difierent points around the tip.

6. A heat treating torch comprising a burner end having a cooling chamber and a passage adjacent thereto having an outlet for discharging a. jet of heating gas against a portion of a piece of work; means for supplying a combustible mixture of gases to said discharge passage; means for supplying water to said cooling chamber; and means for discharging, from said burner end through an outlet closely adjacent the outlet through which the jet of heating gas is discharged, such cooling water as a cooling jet directed at an angle away from said heating jet and against the work at a point spaced from the portion against which the jet of heating gas is discharged.

'i'. A method of hardening metal objects which comprises impinging a heating, jet of high intensity'upon the portion'of the object to be heated, simultaneously impinging a quenching jet upon the object in the form of a sheath subintroducing water into the jacket chamber, and

. around the gas jet and spaced therefrom, andmeans for "'relatively adjusting 'the,jacket and tip to regulate said jet or. water at different points around the tip.

stantially surrounding and in close proximity to the impingement of the heating jet, and effecting relative and progressive movement between the jets as a unit and the object. a

so as to preventoverheating of the same; con-.

against a portion of the object closely adjacent the bortion against which said heating Jet is directed. said cooling Jet being directed at a slight angle away irom said heating Jet and normally impinginguponatlealstaportionoitheoblect previously heated; and en'ecting a relative movement between said burner and and said object to apply said heating jet and said cooling jet concurrently to successive portions of said object.

CHARLES H. TAYLOR. 

